Find Your Way
May 14, 2002
Damascus to Rosedale

Today's Miles = 34.3
Average Speed = 9.0 mph
Maximum Speed = 37.2 mph
Total Miles = 564.6

Today ended up being a great day. I didn't sleep well last night, waking up several times with my thighs cramping up on me. When morning rolled around the sky was gray and cloudy and it looked like more rain. I almost decided to take the day off, but I saw a hint of blue sky trying to peek out and I opted to give the day a try.

After chatting with a few of the AT hikers I made my way to the Post Office and finally shipped home the seven pounds of stuff I had picked out as unneeded Saturday night. I then found a cyber-cafe where I had a leisurely breakfast of pancakes and ham while I made a few updates to these web pages. It wasn't until after 1:00 that I finally started rolling out of town, but the day had turned nice while I had dawdled.

Yesterday's headwind had turned into a light breeze, the rainstorms had turned into a faint overcast, and my bad mood which had started to sink in over the past few days evaporated away.I even had my first long descent of this voyage that wasn't marred by rain or traffic or bicycle problems, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Of course, what goes up must come down, or in my case I had a 1500' climb shortly after my descent. Had I faced this climb late yesterday in the rain I think that it would have destroyed me. But with the sky turning blue and my mood brightened, nothing was going to bring me down today. Part way through the climb I stopped to rest aside a bridge and I had a moment of "enlightenment". I realized that I'm no longer just thinking about taking this ride, I no longer have "just begun", but I'm actually doing it, day by day. It was an encouraging thought that I hope to hold onto.

My day ended with an 800' descent to Rosedale, and lodging for the night in the Elk Garden Methodist Church.

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